The International Digital Security Forum (IDSF) being held in Vienna on 2 and 3 December strengthens alliances for greater digital security
The coronavirus pandemic is mercilessly exposing the weaknesses in our social and economic systems. This also includes problems emerging as the result of sweeping digitalisation in all areas of life. One area particularly impacted is the security of our digital systems: digital communication, in the form of remote working, e-commerce, electronic media, social networks, etc., has become a mainstay of life during the corona pandemic, but brings a concomitant growth in the dangers posed by cybercrime and fake news.
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Effective responses to these issues are the focus of this year’s International Digital Security Forum (IDSF), which is due to take place on 2 and 3 December 2020. The IDSF is organised by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA, in cooperation with go-international, a shared export-initiative of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. Owing to the coronavirus situation, the conference will this year be held as an interactive online event. Titled “Security in times of pandemic and major global events”, the conference aims to encourage the international exchange of information, and cooperation between research, business, public administration and politics.
Austria hosts an international, open discussion of the global problems of digitalisation
The conference brings together numerous central organisations and key figures from public authorities, science and industry. The IDSF conference will be opened by Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Margarete Schramböck, Federal Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs and Christian Weissenburger, Head of the section “Presidium and International Affairs” and interim Head of the section “Innovation and Technology” at the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology on behalf of Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler. Karl Nehammer, Federal Minister of the Interior, will open the second conference day. The line-up of keynote speakers includes Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT), Arne Schönbohm, President of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). The conference will be attended by respected scientists and top-ranking representatives from companies and institutions around the world as well as Hon. Vincent Waiswa Bagiire, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information Communications Technology and National Guidance, Kampala, Uganda.
The conference is organised around ten discussion panels which will focus on the issues of cybercrime, crisis and disaster management, virtual currencies, biometric sensor technologies, border checkpoint management, safe artificial intelligence as well as complexity and resilience. A further key concern is the fight against disinformation and fake news, which the corona pandemic has made even more urgent: there will be discussions on their impact on the social and political order, as well as the new role of the media.
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New partnerships on a global basis
The IDSF conference will be accompanied by a virtual exhibition showcasing developments by Austrian and international organisations and companies, including Austrian Defence and Security Industry Group (ASW) at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, ARES – Cyber Intelligence, Attingo Datenrettung, CYBERTRAP Software, Digital Factory of the University of Applied Sciences Vorarlberg, Huemer-IT, Ikarus, Kuratorium Sicheres Österreich (KSÖ), SBA Research, Softprom Distribution, Sparx Systems Central Europe, T3K-Forensics, World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) and X-Net Services. The event is supported by Huawei, SAS Institute sowie T3K-Forensics.
Women in Cybersecurity
Particular attention will also be paid to the subject of women in the cybersecurity sector. This will take the form of a breakout session which will consider access barriers, opportunities and the experiences of women in this field. The webinar is organised by the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS).
Global exchanges between public authorities, science and industry
The aim of the two-day security forum is to generate collective knowledge about lessons learned, as well as to establish partnerships to combat and reduce the damage caused by pandemics and major global events.